Dawn Buckingham and Jay Kleberg vie for open land commissioner seat overseeing the Alamo and disaster relief funds
The land commissioner manages the Texas General Land Office, which manages the Alamo, administers natural disaster relief funding and helps fund public education. The seat is open after incumbent George P. Bush lost his primary bid for attorney general.
โItโs destroying meโ: Storm after storm, climate change increases strain on Texansโ mental health
Tens of thousands of coastal Texas residents have survived repeated extreme weather events including Hurricane Harvey. For many, it has taken an emotional toll, and researchers warn that climate change could be โcatastrophicโ for our mental health.
U.S. Senate approves bill containing Texasโ โIke Dikeโ coastal protection project
The U.S. Senate voted to authorize the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin planning for a massive coastal barrier project in Galveston Bay meant to protect against hurricanesโ storm surge. Funding is not yet secured.
Feds say Texas discriminated against communities of color when it denied Houston flood aid
Land Commissioner George P. Bush is in the middle of a fierce runoff in the Republican primary for Texas attorney general against incumbent Ken Paxton. During the race, several of Bushโs opponents have criticized his officeโs work in distributing Hurricane Harvey relief funds.
Nicholas, now tropical storm, may cause deadly flash floods in parts of Texas, Louisiana
Tropical Storm Nicholas has weakened to a tropical depression as it slowed to a crawl over southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana as its heavy rains continued to drench the area, maintaining a flood threat.
After Harris County was left out of latest round of Hurricane Harvey relief funds, George P. Bush asks feds for $750 million
Bush's announcement comes after an outcry from Houston and Harris County leaders who requested $1.3 billion in federal funds for Harvey relief but were left off a list of recipients the General Land Office released.
Houston, Harris County get nothing in latest round of $1 billion federal Hurricane Harvey relief funding
Houston and Harris County were denied funding over other Texas communities despite requesting $1.3 billion for ongoing relief efforts. Local officials are asking the federal government to intervene.
Texas death toll from February storm, outages surpasses 100
Texas officials on Thursday, March, 25, 2021 raised the death toll from February's winter storm and blackouts to at least 111 people nearly doubling the state's initial tally following one of the worst power outages in U.S. history. (AP Photo/LM Otero File)AUSTIN, Texas โ Texas officials on Thursday raised the death toll from February's winter storm and blackouts to at least 111 people โ nearly doubling the state's initial tally following one of the worst power outages in U.S. history. The majority of the Texas deaths are associated with hypothermia, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. The toll now officially exceeds that of Hurricane Harvey in 2017, which was blamed for 68 deaths in Texas. Among them was Gilbert Rivera, 60, who told relatives after the power went out in his garage apartment that he was cold but staying bundled up.
Texas rolls out mobile pollution monitoring capabilities following failures during Hurricane Harvey
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas TribuneHOUSTON โ Texas officials on Tuesday said the stateโs environmental agency has added greater capacity to quickly monitor pollution across the state during storms and other disaster events, such as chemical fires. Toby Baker, the executive director of the TCEQ, said the agencyโs effort to add mobile air monitoring capacity was in motion before the EPA OIG report, but acknowledged that Hurricane Harvey was a turning point for environmental regulators. โWe learned some lessons with Hurricane Harvey,โ Baker said. Tuesdayโs announcement was held in Houstonโs Manchester neighborhood at Hartman Park, next to Valeroโs Houston Refinery, where a storage tank notoriously collapsed during Hurricane Harvey โ one of the unmonitored pollution events during the storm. The extent of the emissions released by chemical plants, refineries and other industrial operators along the Gulf Coast during and after Hurricane Harvey is unknown due to the lag in air monitoring, according to the EPA report.
State takes over Houston's Harvey home repair program
The state took over the program this week and Torres and other residents who have applied for assistance say theyโre worried that could lead to yet more delays. A third of the funding โ nearly $428 million โ went to a program for home repair and reconstruction. Harvey dumped up to 50 inches (1.3 meters) of rain on the Houston area following landfall on Aug. 25, 2017. In the Houston area, Harvey flooded more than 150,000 homes, with more than 16,000 residents identified as potentially needing repair help. In its own program, the land office has fixed more than 2,000 homes and has approved nearly 2,900 reimbursements statewide.
When it comes to storms and protecting your home, err on the side of caution: Weโll tell you how
But regardless where youโre located or what types of weather your region regularly experiences, itโs always best to remain vigilant. When it comes to hurricanes and big storms, thereโs always so much talk about how to prepare the insides of our homes. Therefore, itโs always better to err on the side of caution, he added. โThereโs nothing wrong with being too careful.โSo, the next time a big stormโs coming to town, walk around the exterior of your house, your property or your yard. You could even turn this into a project, moving just a few belongings a day, leading up to the storm.
Interactive map shows major hurricanes, tropical storms that hit Texas from 2001-2020
SAN ANTONIO With Hurricane Laura looking to make landfall sometime Wednesday night or Thursday morning, were taking a look back at some of the bigger storms to hit the Lone Star state, starting with Tropical Storm Allison in 2001. Hurricane Rita in 2005 was one of the most intense tropical cyclones on record for the Gulf of Mexico and caused $4.7 billion in damage. That number pales in comparison, however to Hurricane Harvey which had an estimated impact of $125 billion reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which estimates the total approximate cost of damages from weather and climate disasters from the U.S. from 1980 to 2019 to be $1.75 trillion. An interactive story map below allows you to click through locations where hurricanes and tropical storms have made landfall. Related headlines:
What to know about hurricane hazards and storm surges as hurricane season approaches
Their impacts can be felt hundreds of miles inland, and significant impacts can occur without it being a major hurricane. The primary hazards from tropical cyclones (which include tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes) are storm surge flooding, inland flooding from heavy rains, destructive winds, tornadoes, and high surf and rip currents. Storm surge is the abnormal rise of water generated by a storm's winds. Storm surge can travel several miles inland, especially along bays, rivers, and estuaries. Learn the dangers of a hurricane storm surge with this fast draw video.
Houston buys meteorologist vacation after continuous Harvey coverage
HOUSTON โ Do you know that man you've been seeing on all of the TV stations since Hurricane Harvey hit southeast Texas? Heโs Jeff Lindner, the meteorologist with Harris County Flood Control District. A GoFundMe page called Letโs Buy Jeff Lindner a Vacation has raised $6,675 of a $4,000 goal. I do not know Jeff, but he seems like a swell fellow. โY'all are all crazy and I can't believe we've raised so much already,โ the final update reads.